Well, it Was Raining
by HobbitFeet69
Summary: It happened to be raining the night that Severus suddenly showed up at Lupin's. Snupin slash.


It Was Raining

Disclaimer: I do not own HP. The end.

Warnings: slash, not (fully) complaint with any book after GOF

Pairings: Snupin

Rating: T

Heh, something that was supposed to turn up very short morphed into something a bit bigger And I'm glad.

It was, quite literally, a dark and stormy night, and Remus couldn't help but find the irony in that revelation. He smirked, letting his imagination run wild about what was really out there in the rain soaked night as he sipped his tea in the kitchen. Of all things, he had the inkling that Sirius was mucking around in the rain for the hell of it. It was the summer holiday and Harry had been transported from his relative's home to Grimmauld Place, and the dog animagus wouldn't be wasting any time in getting to know his godson better and having a bit of unbridled fun in the process.

Remus felt a stab of jealousy at this. He had kept his distance from the two for a while so that they could bond, simultaneously barricading himself in his little cottage. He had felt pangs of loneliness for the past few days, getting a bit stir crazy and bored at the same time. With the storm raging so violently outside his home he was further cut off from humanity. It didn't help that he was currently out of floo powder as well. When the winds weren't so bad he'd decided that he was going to head to Diagon Alley and pick himself up a couple pounds of floo, but until then…

A sudden crashing sound alerted him, making him jump. It wasn't the thunder this time either. He set down his cup and rushed into the sitting room to see what had caused the sound. Upon entering the room he froze. A black cloaked man lay crumpled on the floor, water and blood pooling from his still form. Remus plucked up his courage and sense and went to kneel beside the man.

"Severus?" he gasped, taking hold of the Potions Master's shoulder and carefully turning him onto his back. His head lolled and Remus could tell that it was him because of the small, recognizable amount of his pale face that wasn't awash in blood. The man's eyes opened into black, glinting slits, but slid shut once more. Remus was at a momentary loss of what to do, but he figured that getting the injured man somewhere dry and more comfortable would be best.

He gingerly moved his arms beneath the taller man's shoulders and hoisted him up. A small something rolled out of the Potions Master's nerveless hand and landed in front of the fireplace. Severus' legs pushed up weakly, trying to keep sound footing despite his ephemeral feebleness. The werewolf slowly led them to his room, helping to situate the potions professor on his bed.

"Severus, can you hear me?" he asked worriedly, moving wet strands of hair from his face to see him better. It didn't do much good with all the blood.

"Lupin," the prone man said, almost warningly. At least he still had his wits about him.

"W-what happened? How'd you get like this?" Remus said, using his wand to summon a bowl of warm water and a few washcloths. He also summoned a few potions he kept for his own emergencies that he believed would help to ease Severus' current situation. He poured half of one of the vials into the water and stirred it with the tip of his wand.

"Dark Lord," Severus grunted, turning his head slightly with a hiss when the werewolf pressed a washcloth to a particularly nasty bleeder at his hairline. With the treated water Remus cleaned up the other man's face, pausing to consider his next options. He was obviously bleeding from more than just his head, and Remus watched for an adverse reaction from the other man as he began unbuttoning his shirt.

Severus was too out of it to notice, perhaps, because he didn't say or do anything to prevent it. Upon pulling the torn fabric open Remus winced. Stretching across the other man's torso was an abundance of wounds, ranging from cuts and gouges to burns and large bruises.

"Hey," he said, seeing if Severus was still somewhat lucid. The pale man turned his head a little to face him, eyes half-closed.

"What?" he said, voice abraded and gravely.

"You wanna talk about what happened?" the werewolf suggested, hoping to keep the man awake as well as sate his rampant curiosity. He carefully set about cleaning the worst of the injuries. Pain faintly twisted Severus' face, but he was expertly concealing the brunt of it.

"He was… particularly displeased about Potter's whereabouts… He had finally pinpointed the muggle residence he usually resides in… but with his sudden move… the Dark Lord was in… unusually pissed spirits…" he admitted. Remus frowned, dipping the stained washcloth into the self cleaning bowl.

"Are the Dursleys safe, do you think?" he asked, trying to ignore the large welt he was currently working on. It was still seeping blood whereas most of the other injuries had clotted.

"They'll be even safe than Potter, I daresay," Severus said darkly at length. "The Headmaster has put so many wards on that house that the Dark Lord won't be able to tell where one ended and another one started… An additional precaution for the muggles, as they are not as protected by the same magic… as the boy."

Remus nodded, understandingly. He finished up the best he could, surveying the damage one last time. Again he paused, not knowing whether he should proceed to check the rest of the Potions Master for injuries. Avoiding making eye contact with his pants. His mouth turned downward with indecision. Thankfully Severus had closed his eyes in exhaustion and didn't lay witness to the werewolf's awkward mental argument.

If Severus bled to death because he missed a vital injury on the lower half of his body, his conscious would never let him hear the end of it. Biting his lip he recovered his wand and ran a diagnostic test over the Potions Master's body. With relief and a little niggle of disappointment at what could have been a very interesting few minutes, he discovered that there was only a small laceration on the back of one of his calves. He easily remedied this by rolling up his pant leg and tending to the wound. Summoning a few large rolls of gauze he began wrapping the other man's injuries.

"Up you go," he muttered, helping to lean the man against him so that he could wrap his torso. As he let him lay back down, he noticed the Potions Master's eyes straying on his. A fist tightened at the hem of his shirt.

"Remus… sorry…" he said, eyes drifting closed. Before the werewolf could inquire as to what he was sorry for Severus fell into Morphemes' arms, his hand loosening to release him. Remus distractedly smoothed his shirt as he stood, wondering where the sudden apology had come from.

He used a drying spell on his bed where Severus had dripped water and a cleaning charm where his blood had saturated the sheets. With his mind still elsewhere he tugged his comforter over Severus' prone form and removed his shoes. Remus shook his head and sent a final look at the unconscious man before leaving the room, turning off the lights and closing the door halfway in the process.

The werewolf settled back in his kitchen a bit worried and flustered over the whole situation. He'd never seen the raven haired man so injured or so helpless, not even when the Marauders endangered his life and pride on numerous occasions. He set about making fresh tea, retiring his cold cup to the sink, and as the water heated he walked into the sitting room.

Upon seeing a little cork on the still damp carpet in front of the hearth he was reminded of the little object that had fallen from the Potions Master's hand earlier. He cautiously approached it, not knowing what to expect or its importance. The wolf in his scented a sharp magical signature the object gave off and he levitated it with his wand for a closer look.

The cork wasn't very remarkable at all, and if it wasn't for the aura it was giving off, he would have thought it just a normal, everyday piece of bottle cork. The irony struck the werewolf moments after that revelation. Its simplicity was the reason why it _was_ so important. Whatever it did, Severus had wanted it to seem ordinary, for himself anyway, and what would be plainer for a Potions Master to have in his possession than a potion bottle stopper? Remus smirked, seeing Severus' genius, but jumped when the teapot began its high pitched whine.

The cork flew from his wand's magical grasp when he started, and with an annoyed frown he re-levitated it onto his coffee table, meaning to bring it to Severus' attention when he was feeling better. Returning to the kitchen he moved the teapot onto an empty burner and switched off the fire. As the shrill whistling died down he readied his cup and poured in the hot water. Adding no less than two heaping spoonfuls of sugar he sat down at the table.

Too many unanswered question flit around in his head and he could feel the stirrings of a headache beginning.

'Oh no you don't,' he thought with a frown, lifting a hand to rub a temple. Too bad he didn't have a potion in reserve for instances like these, for they would be infinitely useful. He checked his watch and found that it was definitely past his bedtime, a yawn escaping at that very moment and clouding his vision of the watch with tears. Quickly finishing off his tea he placed it in the sink and shuffled towards him bedroom.

He pushed his door open slightly to check on the Potions Master. In the sliver of light that the open door provided he could see the faint rise and fall of the unconscious man's chest, assuring him that he was indeed alive despite his apparent lack of movement. Finding it odd that someone could indeed sleep so still, Remus wandered away to find refuge on his couch.

Dropping onto the worn furniture with less grace than his creaky bones liked, he settled in for the night, summoning a blanket that had previously been draped over a nearby chair. Tucking a pillow beneath his head and wishing that the rain would be slower in the morning, he drifted off, staring at the mysterious little cork at the corner of his table.

--

Remus had woken up several times during the night, both from the lashing rain making his cottage groan in protest of being mishandled by nature, and because he felt compelled to check on his silent house guest a few more times. He still hadn't moved, Remus was sure, all night, and here he was wearing a path from the couch to his room every time he woke. With a weary shake of his head he truly could find the reason for him to be obliged thus.

It seemed that for all the night hours that nothing had changed. No, that wasn't right. The rain had let up ever so slightly, giving hope for a trip into town. Not letting that hope get to him too much, as the sky was still spewing a decent amount or water, he slipped into his room for a change of clothes and took a shower to prepare for the day.

Severus was jolted from his warm and somewhat comfortable sleep when the violent sounds of pipes shrieking sounded right above him and trailing down the wall just to his left. He winced, his head throbbing and his torso feeling heavy. He groggily blinked, forcing the last remnants of sleep from his head and pushed down the blanket that had, somehow, found its way over him after he'd passed out.

Yes, he mentally chided himself, you passed out. He tried pulling himself into a seated position, but the pain across his chest made him wince and lie still. When the self inflicted, though accident as they were, stars disappeared from his eyes and his blood stopped pounding so loudly in his ears, he noticed that the pipes had stopped their annoying caterwauling. Peace…

"Hullo, Severus," a shy voice said from the doorway. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I don't usually have company, so I easily forget how loud my old plumbing can be. That is, the cottage's."

Severus could see his faint blush from all the way across the room and allowed himself a mental smirk.

"I trust you slept well," Remus said, stepping further into the room. "You haven't actually moved for nine hours and I was beginning to get worried. Do you always sleep so still?"

"I've never actually had anyone watch me sleep before, so this is the first time I've heard of any such thing," Severus said, somewhat bemused but hiding it well. Of course that had been a lie. When he'd returned to Hogwarts from similar trips and Madam Pomfrey had to patch him up, she said that he was the most stationary sleeper she'd ever had to treat. Headmaster Dumbledore, having visited him while he was recovering, often came immediately after he'd managed to get into the school, when he was usually unconscious. He also expressed concerns but Severus ignored him. He only told the white lie to see the werewolf's cheeks flush light crimson.

"Well, would you like something to eat? It's morning, even though the clouds are covering the sun pretty effectively, and I think a nice breakfast is in order," he said.

"No thank you, Lupin," Severus said coolly.

"Are you sure? I mean, I may not have much of a meat selection, but I'm sure I have some eggs somewhere in the fridge…" he trailed off, contemplating the contents in his poorly stocked fridge.

"Again, no thank you. I'm not very hungry at the moment."

Remus frowned, looking critically at the man.

"You're looking awfully thin of late, Severus Snape, and I'm loath to let you waste away. When lunch comes around I'll be sure to make you eat," he said in a mock authoritative voice. "If that fails, I shall contact Mrs. Weasley and let her have a go at you."

Severus remained stoic, almost aloof, but Remus could see the slight paling of his features. Mrs. Weasley was a woman to contend with, especially if she thought you needed feeding. Far be it for Remus to let Severus know that he was out of floo powder, but the threat worked well without that little tidbit and he was pleased with himself.

"If not food, perhaps a potion then? You've still got a ways to go in the field of healing," he said, approaching the bed and retrieving another of his reserved potions from the nightstand. He handed it to Severus, who uncorked it and surreptitiously sniffed the contents.

"Bochtus?" he said, raising a brow to Remus. It was a fairly strong healant.

"I keep a few of them around in case something goes wrong with my transformation," he said with tiny wince. "Not to say that your potion won't work. It's never failed me before. It's just that, should anything happen and I don't get it… anyway," he continued as Severus slowly drank the potion. "I've been wanting to ask about a piece of cork I found that appears to belong to you."

"It's a Portkey," he said flat out, handing the empty phial back to the werewolf. "And it's not even registered. It secret and for emergencies only."

Remus almost smacked himself in the face. It was so obvious that it was painful and he couldn't see how he missed that. A Portkey of all things!

"But they're only tuned into one specific area, so… why here?"

Severus paused, seeming to be thinking his answer over carefully.

"Because this was the safest place I could think of," he said at last. "None of the Dark Lord's followers would suspect that I would find refuge in a werewolf's home."

Remus nodded in understanding, a little put out by this. It didn't sound as though the Potions Master was putting any prejudice behind his words, but they still stung nonetheless. The silence that followed was uncomfortable, so Remus jumped at the chance to change the very subject that he brought up.

"The rain's been pretty bad all night and doesn't show signs of letting up anytime soon. If in fact it does later today, I have a small trip planned for Diagon Alley. You'll be fine on your own?"

"Of course," the Potions Master said, his eyes half lidded. Remus could smell exhaustion in the air and it wasn't some potion induced sleepiness.

"You should rest for now," he said with a little smile, scratching the back of his head. "If you need anything, uh, potions, food, books, the loo, I'll be in the next room."

"Thank you," Severus said, eyes drifting closed. Remus took his leave at this, not wanting to disturb him. He went off to make his own breakfast and grabbed a book to distract himself for a while. Here and there he'd duck his head in his room to see if the other man was awake, but after five times he gave up and settled into the couch with his muggle mystery novel.

The afternoon was slowly encroaching and he was beginning to get hungry again, so he set about making a small lunch. Mid-snacking he decided that whether or not his guest was hungry he would try and make him eat something. He put together a light sandwich and headed back to his room, intent on shaking the man awake if he had to. Smirking at the idea he entered the room and set the plate on the nightstand.

"Severus," he said quietly, leaning over the sleeping man. "Severus?"

The Potions Master was unresponsive, his face pinched in the pain of his obvious nightmare.

"Hey," he said, grasping his shoulder and giving it a little shake.

"No," Severus let out a strangled gasp, shooting up and pushing Remus away. The werewolf was admittedly a bit surprised but he held his footing and came back to the side of the bed. Severus sat, still as ever, his head down and his face covered in one hand.

"Severus, are you all right?" he asked patiently, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm… sorry, Lupin. It was merely a dream," he said, hand dropping to his side uselessly. He lifted his head and Remus saw the haunted look that possessed him. "Lately they've been catching me off guard…"

"Well," Remus said, forcing a smile onto his worried face. "I might not have a Dreamless Sleep potion for you, but I fixed you something to eat."

He motioned to the nightstand and Severus saw the sandwich there.

"It's only lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. I hope that's all right."

"It's fine. Thank you."

Remus' head was reeling by this time. Two apologies and a thank you? Collectively, that was more than he'd received from the man for the entire time they knew each other.

"I wish I had more protein to offer at the moment, but-" he trailed off. A coppery scent drifted past his nose and he sniffed again. After mentally assessing himself he looked to the Potions Master.

"I think you're bleeding."

Severus frowned and pushed down the comforter. A slowly growing stain or crimson tainted the otherwise spotless gauze. He cursed softly as Remus went about gathering up the left over healing supplies. The werewolf carefully unwrapped the old gauze and dropped it into a nearby waste bin. He inspected the injuries with an unhappy expression. They hardly seemed better than before, even with the healant he'd supplied from before and the potion laced water.

"They were made by dark magic," Severus supplied. Remus nodded, knowing that those types of injuries tended to be a bit resistant when faced with healing. With a frustrated sigh Remus began cleaning the wounds once more. He leaned his hip against the edge on the bed and slowly wrapped Severus' torso with fresh gauze. He barely noticed his socked feet slipping across the hardwood floor until it was too late. He fell forward, half over the Potions Master and face to face with him, mere centimeters separating the both of them. His expression seemed to stick in shock-mode and Severus' was lightly surprised.

"I-I'm sorry, " Remus stuttered, quickly pushing himself to his feet. "I should really wear slippers or something. I…" he used his wand to tie off the rest of the bandage, face an interesting shade of red. He shoved the remaining supplies onto the back of the nightstand.

"I'll be in the next room, if you need anything," he said, rushing from the room. Once he was safely away from the other man's eyes he let out a shaky breath. That was too close a call for him. If Severus hadn't been injured he'd had no qualms over telling those last few centimeters to go to hell, but he wasn't quite ready to do so. He reasoned with himself that if the Potions Master had been fully healed he'd be right back to his snarky self and he didn't think he'd have that so-called Gryffindor bravery to go for it then. He shook his head, realizing his defeat. Even if Severus was gay, which Remus knew was a very slim chance, there'd be no way that he'd consider the werewolf for a companion. Straightening, he smoothed his clothes and shuffled off to the kitchen to drown his misery and stupidity in tea.

Severus watched the werewolf hurriedly leave through the bedroom door. He was still a bit stupefied at what had just transpired between them. He didn't miss the blush that coloured the other man's face and couldn't help but think his was on the verge of appearing as well. He wasn't as easily embarrassed as Remus, but when he was it was extremely obvious as it stood out on his pale skin. He smirked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, and ran a hand along his covered ribs. Even when distracted and rushed, he was quite good at fixing up bandages. What with his past transformations it was probably second nature by then…

He eyed the sandwich on his nightstand with curiosity more than hunger. A low grumbling in his stomach told him that it was empty and needed refilling when possible. Fortunately it was _quite_ possible, and the sandwich quickly disappeared. He moved over to the edge of the bed and gingerly placed his feet to the floor. It was decidedly warmer in bed, he mused as he stood. He made his way out the door and quietly navigated his way to the bathroom. Gritting his teeth he admitted that he moved like an old man when injured, but less than a minute later he finally reached his destination. Shutting the door silently behind him he turned to face the mirror.

Severus grimaced, and his reflection followed suit to the 'T.' Recalling Remus' words regarding his thinness he frowned. The werewolf wasn't kidding. His face was gaunt, more so than usual, and he was a sickly sort of pale. The latter of his two observations was probably due to his most recent blood loss, but other than that the rest was from his own doing. Reaching up with thin fingers he felt the bruised looking skin beneath his eyes. Definitely needed more rest. He was unlucky enough to be wide awake at the moment from his previous bouts of sleep and felt the need to seek company.

It was uncommon for him to feel this way, but when the need came about he knew it was best to not resist. Instead, he traveled back to his borrowed room, old man pace and all, and sought the whereabouts of his shirt. He found it draped over a chair in the corner of the room. It had been spelled of blood and well repaired from the slashing curses he'd been subjected to. He carefully shrugged it over his shoulders and nimbly buttoned near the top but not all the way.

Not bothering with his shoes, he padded from the room once more and went in search of the werewolf. After a once-over of the sitting room, Severus shifted towards the kitchen. Remus sat at the table, facing away from the doorway. He was so immersed in the act of staring at his tea that he missed the signs of an approaching human. Severus managed to sit in the chair across from the ex-professor before he even looked up. When he did he was mildly surprised.

"How did you- I thought you were-"

"I grew bored with the lack of interaction," he said, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry. I could have-"

"Don't apologize, Lupin," Severus said, holding up a halting hand. "It's not your fault I find myself particularly lucid and unable to resume sleeping."

Remus blushed again, but certainly not at the same level of scarlet as before.

"I blame the rain," he muttered, waving his hand in a general 'the things around me' sort of way.

"Still hasn't let up?" Severus asked, listening as it buffered the side of the werewolf's house.

"Not one bit. I swear, if I didn't have a basement my house might've just slid away in the mud. The winds are definitely violently enough. Oh, my manners," he laughed. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be nice," he said. Remus quickly stood and moved to the stove. He set a new kettle of water and let it heat up.

"So, it's evening and I still can't take my trip to Diagon Alley," he said, leaning against the counter while they waited.

"Diagon is protected from harsh weather," Severus said, confused. "Why don't you just use the floo network?"

"I, uh, I'm out of floo powder at the moment," Remus scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Severus was silent for a few seconds in thought.

"So the threat of Mrs. Weasley…?"

"Falsified. Sorry."

"Hn."

The kettle started to shriek, but Remus was fast in taking it off the burner. He made the tea plain, as he was sure Severus liked, and set the cup in front of him. Severus nodded his thanks, wrapping thin fingers around the hot cup. He didn't drink right away, taking his time to absorb the warmth the tea gave off.

"Lupin, I want to thank you for... all that you've done in the past few hours. It wasn't your burden to bear that I forced upon you."

"Nonsense, Severus," Remus said, a bit embarrassed. "You know I'm pleased to help when I can. It seems I'm asked to do so little for the Order anyway."

Severus nodded in thought, taking a sip of the tea. Remus cast glances his way, trying to concentrate on the consumption of his own tea. When Severus finally looked up and caught his gaze he smiled, abashed.

"Perhaps a game of chess, then?" he said. Severus seemed interested so he led the way into the sitting room where he had an old worn chess set hidden away in his closet. He sat the board on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch. Severus was left with a high-backed over-stuffed chair. The back and arms provided support for his sore body, and for that he was grateful. Remus set up the pieces, unwittingly placing the white pieces on the Potions Master's side. He was about to turn the board around when he noticed that Severus didn't care. Instead, he waited until Remus was done and took the first move. Remus wasn't a self proclaimed great player, but he knew a few tricks.

A half hour of silent playing went by and Remus thought he was holding his own pretty good. At least he wasn't missing too many pieces. The pieces he did lose stood behind Severus' side, staring at him mockingly. It took all his strength to refrain from sticking his tongue out at the game pieces. Severus kept the same expression of concentration on his face throughout the entire game and Remus couldn't tell whether or not he was glad with his current strategy, upset over losing a grand total of two pawns, or bored in general.

"So," he said, breaking the silence. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth did he want to smack himself in the head with the heavy wooden game board. There was a reason the sardonic man didn't talk about his family.

"No," he replied flatly. Remus felt relieved at the answer, since he expected him to react quite coldly to his personal question.

"Me neither," he said with a faint smile. "It was just me and my parents for a long time. They both passed on a little over seven years ago."

Severus looked as if he were about to ask what the hell the werewolf was on about, but didn't.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly instead. Remus just shook his head.

"It's just hard, you know? Being alone. I was glad when Sirius came back into my life, and when Harry finally became a part of it. They're family now, and off on their own. I'm happy for them. They deserve it."

He made his knight sidestep Severus' determined castle. Only to be taken by a nearby pawn. He frowned, not having seen that coming. Severus sighed, knowing that his opponent was distracted at the moment.

"You're still a part of their little family, Lupin. You took care of the brat, Potter, before that mongrel even showed up," he said, though his voice lacked its usual conviction. Remus felt a small smile turning his lips upward. Never had he thought he'd hear the usually so acerbic Potions Master offering words of comfort to the likes of him. Well, he'd been full of surprises since he arrived.

"Thanks," he said genuinely happier than he'd been all weekend.

"Check."

"What?"

"Your king is in check."

"Damn."

Ten minutes later and Remus had run out of places to hide his king. The game was called and the board pushed off to the side of the table to make room for fresh tea. Late afternoon was setting in and Severus was already rather tired. Remus noted this right off and insisted he return to bed. Severus agreed without an argument and slowly made his way back to the werewolf's room.

"You know, you walk like an old man," Remus called after his retreating form. Severus held up his middle finger by way of reply as he disappeared within the dark room. Remus smirked, sipping his tea.

--

He was exhausted, all his reserves spent on running and fighting. He was bleeding far too much to be going on like he was, but he refused to give up. Stumbling, he found himself scraping his hands and knees on the uneven path. He had no idea where he was, and less of an idea of where he was going, but he knew he had to keep moving.

He forced himself to his feet, bones creaking and muscles groaning in effort, and set off at a lurching run again. His wand was gone, and he idly wondered when he'd lost it. With no time to pause and think on it, he pushed onward. Not too far from where he first fell he felt something tug at his leg, dragging him down once more. He whipped his head around, fear gripping him. A pale, thin hand had a solid hold of his ankle. Another arm snaked out from the darkness and gripped his wrist. More hands grabbed for him, pinning him to the ground and pulling at him.

'No!' he thought, trying unsuccessfully to free himself. Faces appeared with the hands. Ghostly white countenances of people he knew, alive and dead. They all stared down at him, blank and at the same time accusing.

"No!" he yelled, the faces coming closer, their mouths opening to reveal the blackness of a terrible void.

"No!" he bolted upright, chest heaving in the frantic effort of his lungs. He simply couldn't get enough air. He pushed his legs over the edge of the bed and braced his head in his shaking hands.

"Severus, are you all right?" a sleepy but worried looking Remus appeared in the doorway.

"Yes," he hissed, wanting nothing to do with the werewolf right now. Conversely, he didn't want the other man to leave him at that moment. He felt alone, lost, and didn't know how to deal with it. The nightmare had scared him, as loath as he was to admit it. For the first time in many years he felt the weight of being alone and was afraid.

"Are you sure? I thought-"

"I'm fine, Lupin," he snarled, not sure why he was snapping at the concerned man. He felt ashamed of himself as Remus' face dropped.

"Okay, I'll just… I'll go," he left quickly and Severus bit his lip in frustration. Damn him! Damn him and his imbecility! All he ever managed to do was push people away when he needed their company the most. Not this time…

He found his footing and moved as quickly as he dared from the room. Injuries still protesting, he ignored them all as he went after the werewolf.

"Remus," he said, approaching the man. He had his back to the Potions Master, about to enter the kitchen. He turned so suddenly at his voice that they collided. Remus might've fallen had Severus not grabbed him by the arms to steady him.

"Severus, I'm sor-" he started, but the Potions Master cut him off.

"No, Remus. I'm sorry," he said resolutely before tilting his head downwards and touching his lips to Remus'. The werewolf was so very glad that Severus was supporting him at the moment or he surely would have fallen in shock. When he pulled away Remus stared at him in surprise. He let go of his arms.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, about to turn away. He'd no doubt frightened his gracious host by his impulsive behaviour.

"Wait, Severus," it was Remus' turn to take hold of the other man's arm, preventing him from moving off.

"Did you really mean that?"

Severus stared at him. He had such an open honest face that he couldn't even formulate a lie. Not that he wanted to anyway.

"Yes," he simply stated. Remus smiled. It was the brightest smile Severus had ever seen from the werewolf. Not even when Sirius had returned from Azkaban had he been this happy, this relieved. He wrapped his arms around Severus' waist and leaned his head against his chest.

"Good, I'm glad," he said. They stayed like that for a moment, Severus finally having the courage to hug him back.

"You know," he said at length. "I'm kinda hungry."

"I know. Your stomach's growling. Let's go make some breakfast, shall we?" he smiled again, taking the Potions Master's hand and leading him into the kitchen.

--

He was running again, wand gone and bleeding profusely. Stumbling, he knew the end was soon. He was going to be captured, dragged down by those he couldn't save, those who died because of him. He fell again, a hand gripping him. More followed, and he found he couldn't breathe. He was being covered, suffocated.

He suddenly felt something warm against his face and opened his eyes. The beings were shrinking back from an unidentified source of light. It was so bright and warm that he felt unexplainably safe and comforted. He smiled, welcoming the feeling.

Remus watched the lines of worry disappear from his husband's face and was satisfied. He continued to stroke his cheek until the morning light began spilling through the bedroom window.

"Remus," a low voice brought him from his musings. Severus was staring at him.

"Yes?"

"That mangy friend of yours and the brat are coming over today, are the not?"

"Yes, and be nice."

Severus grunted his response and Remus muffled his scathing comment with a kiss.

"I said be nice," he smirked, sliding out of bed and heading to his dresser. Severus followed, albeit reluctantly. The bed was warm but the floor was not, per usual. He knew he had to do something about that, warming charms maybe.

"What's in it for me?" he purred (yes! The infamous Snape pur!), circling his waist with his arms and nuzzling his neck.

"My company? No, uhm, my chocolate cake? Oh, that's right, you don't eat cake…"

"Remus."

"Another round of chess? I'm getting better, I promise."

"Remus."

"Then there's always sex."

"Remus," he growled.

"Fine," he sighed. "I promise not to dance on the table when you're not home. And stay out of your sock drawer."

"Good enough," he relinquished his hold to wander towards his own dresser. He didn't see that Remus had his fingers crossed and was now snickering into his own sock drawer. Twenty minutes later the two were finally ready to greet their company. It had taken so long because every time Severus pulled on a shirt, Remus magically summoned it to himself, stating that he didn't 'like that one.' Not too long after his third shirt was taken did he bind the werewolf and leave him on the bed while he finished getting dressed.

No sooner had he removed the binding spell did Remus disappear all of his clothes down to his boxers, initiating a battle the likes of which he'd never seen. It ended with his husband sitting on his back, both their wands in his waistband, and feathers and pillow carcasses strewn about the entire sitting room. Remus conceded and Severus finished getting dressed, making him promise to behave (with both hands visible) before he handed back the werewolf's wand.

Sirius and Harry arrived fifteen minutes later and hugs and handshakes (on Severus' part) were given. After a quiet meal, and a humourous tale about how Harry and Sirius discovered that old ladies weren't as slow as previously assumed, especially when they were pissed off about a prank, they all settled into the sitting room.

"So, what are your plans after school?" Remus asked Harry as the more animated conversations began to dwindle. The seventeen year old frowned in thought. Less than three months ago he'd finally succeeded in vanquishing the Dark Lord once and for all, not four months after Severus and Remus got married.

"Not sure. Might still go into the auror field," he said, then smirked. "Might become a professional Quidditch player."

"I'm certain that Ron would be thrilled," Remus laughed.

"Only too much," Harry laughed as well. Sirius pulled a few feathers out from the couch cushion he was sitting on.

"New kink, Remus?" he asked, dropping them on the table. Remus blushed. They must have been missed when they were re-stuffing the pillows.

"Shut up, Pads," he said.

Two hours later the guests left and Remus and Severus were left to their own devices once more. Severus magicked the feathers back into one of the couch pillows and Remus started to laugh.

"What?" Severus asked, not understanding what was so amusing about returning the feather to its proper place.

"Maybe it's time we found a kink."

"I should think not," Severus said gruffly. He didn't need his husband's head filled with such nonsense, and he cursed that damn cur of an animagus for having mentioned such a thing.

"Come on, it could be fun," he said, smile broadening. "There could be leather, and feathers, and little things with tassels, oh, that would be fun, and-"

Severus cut him of with a kiss. They tended to do that to each other ever so often.

"I said no. You're getting strange," he said slowly so that Remus didn't miss a word.

"All right then," Remus said.

"Good, now that that's cleared up, let's go clean the kitchen. They left a mess," he said, leaving to do just that. Remus lingered for a moment, biting his lip in thought. When the sounds of water running hit his ears, he carefully pulled a feather back out of one of the pillows and transfigured it into a long stick with a few furry tassels hanging off the end.

"Are you coming to help or not?" Severus called. Remus couldn't stop the devious smile that tugged at his lips.

"Coming."


End file.
